Carbondale Community High School science teacher Carrie Mueller sat anxiously as one of her students prepared the shears.

Minutes later she was bald.

Mueller, the sponsor of CCHS’s Key Club, a philanthropic organization, wanted to raise money for this weekend’s Relay for Life. As motivation for her students, she promised them if they raised $1,000, she would shave her head.

“I wanted their goal to be $1,000, which to teenagers sounds like a lot,” Mueller said.

By organizing friends, family and strangers, the students responded with $1,032. Some of the students even went so far as to wait next to soda machines around the school and urge people to donate their dollars to cancer research instead of a drink.

Mueller’s students got the idea after an event last year where she sported a mohawk to raise money for a senior trip.

Although raising money was the ultimate goal, Mueller had some personal feelings in the matter. One of her close friends was diagnosed with cancer the same day her grandmother died of cancer.

“This was a show of solidarity for people who have had cancer,” she said. “This is my kind of way of motivating the kids, but also trying to raise awareness for what the American Cancer Society does.”

The haircut was performed by senior Khrysta Dunkel, the president of the Key Club. Dunkel formed a close friendship with Mueller after taking her forensics class last year.

“I think I was more nervous about shaving her head than she was,” Dunkel said.

She also said she was proud of Mueller for her dedication as well as the club for raising the money.

“We definitely succeeded,” Dunkel said.

Mueller was a little apprehensive of how she would look after it was over. She even sent a memo to fellow faculty members before the shave asking for hat donations.

“It’s just hair,” Mueller said afterwards, not deterred by the cut. “I’m choosing to lose my hair, other people don’t get a choice.”